High Court blow for MPs
MPs have lost the latest round in their battle to keep secret the full details of what they have been spending on their second home.
In its decision issued today the High Court has backed the earlier Information Tribunal ruling that receipt-by-receipt details should be published.
Due to other freedom of information requests the House of Commons authorities has already been forced to concede the publication of the amount spent under sub-headings such as mortgages, cleaning and groceries. This decision would take that much further into the release of individual invoices and receipts for spending for the 14 MPs involved in this case.
The decision is a huge embarrassment for the Commons authorities. The High Court has dismissed their argument that release of MPs' addresses would be a security risk. And they have been told to pay over £33,000 in costs for the journalists who requested the information.
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Hey, we’re over here. The real people who are the citizens of this country.
Our last defence against the quangos and journalists who are intent on running things – who mistake their own incestuous output for popular opinion – were our Members of Parliament.
It is a sad day for democracy when a quango – egged on by journalists – has supremacy over our elected MPs.
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The question marks are not mine!
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It's not nice when others want to know about how much you spend and what you spend it on.
I can jut imagine the argument.
It's petty, it's vindicitive, Sticking noses into something that is none of their business, my personal business, HOW DARE THEY.
Feeling betrayed?
Yes I know.
I feel the same way after the smoking ban took away any social life I had.
Come on Borris, freedom/choice for all.
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You mean We the people have been told to pay £33,000 in costs. Its not coming out of MPs pockets is it?
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The public should have access to there Members expenses claims,what are they affraid of, petrol mileage claims, meals expenses can they not manage on there £60 odd thousand pounds wages without claiming £100 thousand plus in expenses,pensioners would love a petty cash voucher book ,no wonder they want to keep things to themselves and the public in the dark.
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I bet MP's are now scurrying about looking for any old receipts.The one thing i would like to see is that MP's should be issued with a Visa card from the Government,just to stop any fiddles such as getting your secretary to give them their old receipts.Victory for us taxpayers.
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the public can be assured the mps will still find away round the ruling so they can stay on the gravy train.
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at 8.23pm on 16 may 2008
roanheads....wrote an excellent topic....
thanks!
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